1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to replaceable, non-refillable or single use valves for returnable pressurized systems. The valve includes a valve housing mounted on the container, a replaceable valve cartridge mounted in the valve housing, the valve cartridge having a housing and a valve body movable in the housing by means of a handle to allow and prevent release of pressurized fluid from the container. A nozzle, which slidably fits in a vertical slot in the valve housing, is provided for venting pressurized fluid from the container.
2. Background Art
Pressure tanks or other pressure containers are usually filled under carefully controlled conditions at a charging station and then distributed to various places for use. Unfortunately, the attractive economies of refilling containers at points of use or otherwise repressurizing them under less than carefully supervised conditions has resulted, in the less consequential cases, in the introduction of impurities or inferior refills and, in the more consequential cases, to injurious explosions. The reuse of pressure containers is highly objectionable for many reasons which relate to safety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,560 describes an outlet coupling member for a propellant storage construction and a method of making the same. The outlet member can be detachably interconnected to an outlet means and has a valve unit therein. The valve requires a plunger to be axially moved inward into the unit to open the unit to remove the contents of the propellant storage container. The valve construction allows the container to be non-refillable.
U.S. Pat. No. 570,524 describes a non-refillable bottle. The bottle is made non-refillable by having an inwardly-tapering or conical throat and a shoulder in the base of the mouth. A combination of the valve, the annulus having the grooves or channels at its base, the cork and the peg inserted in and depending from the cork and bearing at its lower end a valve makes the bottle non-refillable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,369 describes a non-refillable dispensing container. The product is dispensed by a removable dispensing pump. The attachment is in the form of a connector fixed in the container neck and includes a fitting connecting the inlet of the pump to the interior of the container to dispense the product when the pump is operated. When the pump is removed, the connector blocks the container neck against practicable refilling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,744 describes a non-refillable fitment, which takes the form of a hollow cylindrical housing having a valve seat disposed in a lower portion thereof. A valve in the form of an annular ring is provided within the housing and a vented retainer is inserted in an upper portion of the housing. The cylindrical housing may be inserted within the neck of a conventional bottle in much the same manner as a cork and, when so inserted and the bottle is vertically disposed, the inner circumferential surface of the valve seals against the valve seat and the outer circumferential surface of the valve seals against an inner circumferential surface of the hollow cylindrical housing to prevent refilling. When the bottle is inclined to a pouring angle, the valve is cocked against the retainer to permit pouring to take place.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,332 describes a non-refillable safety valve for a pressure container. The valve includes a housing, having a central bore, which provides communication between a port and the pressure container for charging and selective discharging the pressure container. The central bore has a lower portion that is narrower than the upper portion of the central bore. A hollow knob unit, having a central bore, is in threaded engagement with the outer wall of the housing. A core, having a central bore, is slidably mounted in the central bore of the housing. The upper end of the hollow knob unit is mounted on the core in a rotatable manner and in fixed longitudinal relationship with the core. A sealing member is slidably mounted in the lower end portion of the central bore of the core. The core contains end stop means for preventing movement of the sealing member below the lower end of the core. The sealing member engages the interface ledge formed by the lower upper portions of the central bore of the housing when the core is moved the maximum possible distance into the central bore of the core or when refill is attempted after discharge of the pressure container. The core contains at least one passageway located in the core outwards from the sealing member for communication between the central bore of the core and said upper portion of the central core, of the housing. An engagable stop means is positioned between the outer surface of the housing and the inner surface of the hollow knob unit in order to limit retrograde or outward movement of the core to a position whereby the sealing member still engages the interface ledge when refilling the pressure container. The engagable stop means engages after the pressure container has been filled and the sealing member, the core and the knob unit have been moved into sealing position.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,575 discloses a non-refillable valve having a housing with a central bore, which has a lower portion that is narrower that its middle portion that in turn is narrower than its upper portion. A side port is present in the lower region of the middle portion. An outlet nozzle is located in the side port. The lower end of the housing sealingly engages the pressure container to provide communication there-between. The valve stem is rotatably positioned in the upper portion of the central bore. The valve stem contains a vertical bore in its bottom portion. A resilient valve sealing member has a body portion and a top pin which slidably fits in the bore in the valve stem. The sealing member has a top rim portion which has a continuous outer surface and does not have any slots, indentations or the like. Also, the body portion does not have any arm or arms, particularly around its periphery. The top rim portion of the sealing member is comprisingly positioned in the upper portion of the central bore when the valve is inactive or being filled. The valve sealing member is pushed into the middle portion via the valve stem when the valve is placed in the active position. The non-compressed top rim of the sealing member is wider than the upper portion of the central bore, which prevents movement of the sealing member back into the upper portion of the central bore. The sealing member engages the seating interface when any refill of the container with pressurized fluid is attempted.
There is a need for a relatively simple and inexpensive, replaceable valve which allows normal filling of the returnable pressure container under proper conditions, adequate sealing of the pressure container during nonuse, selective discharge of the pressure container, and effective prevention of improper and unauthorized refilling of the container.